Notre Dame football: Kelly, Irish set to start fall camp

SOUTH BEND -- Yes, Brian Kelly wants his team to feel good that it enters the season as the 18th-ranked in the country.

But ...

"I want to be in Bob Stoops' position today," Kelly said of theOklahoma coach, whose team sits atop the preseason poll. "We're not there yet."

But they're further ahead of where they were last year, Kelly's first in South Bend. The Irish finished strong, using a four-game season-ending winning streak to finish 8-5. More than that, however, Kelly now has a better familiarity with his team.

"You know your players, you know what to expect," Kelly said Friday from the Guglielmino Athletics Complex, where he addressed the media prior to Saturday's first practice. "They know what to expect."

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With star receiver Michael Floyd's status known -- it was announced Wednesday that Floyd, who was suspended from the team in March after being arrested for drunk driving, was reinstated to the team -- the main storyline is the quarterback battle.

Four quarterbacks are listed on the depth chart, but the starting job is expected to come down to senior Dayne Crist, who started the season last year before a knee injury ended his season, and sophomore Tommy Rees, who won all four of his starts.

Kelly wants a decision made at least 10 days before the season opener, which is Sept. 3 against South Florida.

Knee injuries will sideline two players for the entire season. Sophomore running back Cameron Roberson, who was injured in spring practice, and senior offensive tackle Lane Clelland, who was injured over the summer, will not play this year, Kelly said.